‘I am still shaking’ says church attack pensioner

Maureen Creaney with some of the many flowers she has received since the incident. INPT27-221.

Published:14:03Friday 07 July 2017

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A great-grandmother who was attacked with a crowbar in a church in town has been unable to stay at home on her own since the incident.

Maureen Creaney was hit and robbed by a man at St Patrick’s Church in William Street on Friday afternoon.

The 74-year-old had gone into the church to light a candle for a friend, who has since passed away, when the incident took place.

She has been left very badly shaken and her daughter and niece have been taking it in turns to stay with her.

She says that while she hopes to go back to the church, it is too early yet and that she would be “very nervous”.

“I am still shaking all over. I have been on tablets for the pain in my shoulder and I never slept the first night after it happened,” she said. But she has been touched by the many messages of support and flowers she has received.

“The house and the phone haven’t stopped,” she said.

Her ordeal began when she spotted the man apparently trying to break into the church collection box.

He fled before returning and demanding money from her.

“I went to walk away and then he hit me on the shoulder with the crowbar,” she explained.

Mrs Creaney said she was forced to hand over the money and that the attacker then hugged her twice and said he would return the cash.

She said the whole experience had been made more stressful when she discovered that a man charged in relation to the incident had failed to turn up for his first appearance in court on Monday.

She said, “I didn’t even know he was out on bail, I found out on the news. So that set me back.”